Watch Your Language

Making Teams Accessible

"If we don't change our direction, we are likely to end up where we are headed."
Old Chinese Proverb

Words can hurt. The way we describe people shapes our perceptions. Our perceptions are subconscious; we may not even realize we have them. However, they can impact how we treat people with disabilities. Just as our language should reflect positive perceptions of women and members of ethnic and racial minorities, so too should it reflect valuing of people with disabilities. Here are some communication guidelines:

• Do you use adjectives as nouns? Don't say: "the disabled." That's dehumanizing and stereotyping. Use nouns such as, "employees," and "people."
  
  
• Are you using outdated terms like "crippled," "afflicted," "deaf and dumb," "blind?" You need to know that people with disabilities regard these terms as derogatory.
  
  
• Are you linking the disability to the person? You probably don't have to identify the disability, so why do it? Unless you want to demonstrate that people with disabilities are employed in a variety of occupations, identification of the disability is not appropriate. Respect the person's confidentiality by discussing the situation with them.
  
  
• Are you using the legal definition or speaking generally? If you are referring to laws and regulations, "handicapped" is the appropriate term because it is used in legal documents and is defined there. For more general purposes, "disabled" is appropriate.
  
  
• Don't use stereotypes. Many people with hearing impairments can speak and have some degree of hearing. Don't use, "Confined to a wheelchair." The wheelchair provides mobility; people would be confined, if they did not have one.
  
  
• Instead say: Hearing impaired or disabled, visually impaired or disabled, and people who use wheelchairs. It's okay to say impaired.

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